The official blog of New Orleans Bride Magazine, offering a daily dose of all things weddings

Cool It Down

How to combat the heat in the Big Easy on your wedding day or any day

Kelly Massicot

It’s that time of year again – when it’s so unbelievably hot in New Orleans that you don’t know what to do with yourself. It’s uncomfortable and usually comes with perspiration, which is pretty inconvenient any time, but especially when celebrating a wedding or wedding-related event.

“Let Them Eat Cake” decided to get the help of a few ladies in the Renaissance Publishing offices to share their tips and tricks for keeping it cool on those hot summer days.

Lisa Picone Love – St. Charles Avenue Magazine sales manager:

She says she’s recently been using Glo Skin Beauty Hydration Mist, which she loves and is perfect for refreshing skin throughout the day. An online website describes the product as a “refreshing mist is specially formulated to instantly hydrate and soothe with an exclusive blend of antioxidants vital to maintaining skin's healthy radiance. Use this multi-tasking mist before and after makeup application to set your makeup to last and have it close by to refresh your skin throughout the day, providing an instant burst of hydration any time skin feels dry.” You can also buy this product locally at About Face in Old Metairie Village

Claire Cummings – New Orleans Magazine senior account executive:

What Claire says she uses during the hot summer months is a tinted sunscreen – which for her is the Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue. Additionally, she adds. “If you’re going in the sun, use a primer with sunscreen. If you have naturally oily skin, Becca [brand] has a primer called Ever-Matte Poreless Priming Perfector and it’s specifically to fight the oil, you just have to pat it on instead of rubbing it in. For those people who want extra coverage, use a second coat of the tinted sunscreen. I also carry around a compacted translucent powder by Becca called Blotting Perfector Setting Powder. It’s a compact and not a loose powder and it’s clear so you can use it no matter what skin tone you are.

She also let us in on a little secret her (older =) family members taught her – a “back in my day” type of trick.

“They told me when cars didn’t have air conditioning or they didn’t even have cars and walked in the heat that they would buy an EXTRA LARGE fountain drink and just take little sips throughout the day to prevent sweating. I went ahead and tried this trick and it actually works. I prefer an extra-large soda or cold drink in a Styrofoam cup so it stays cool and doesn’t sweat on my hand.”

Luckily, Melanie, having previously written a blog for MyNewOrleans.com entitled “Bon Vivant,” has a lot of types and tricks we were able to find.

“Body powder is of course at the top of the list of must-use products for anyone who lives in a humid climate,” she writes in a July 2015 Bon Vivant article (http://www.myneworleans.com/Blogs/Bon-Vivant/July-2015/Hot-Thang/). Her product of choice is Caldesene Baby Cornstarch Powder with Zinc Oxide, which she found in the baby products aisle at the drug store. Additionally, in blog posts from May 2016 and August 2016, she added these extra tips:

A helpful hairdresser once told me it’s important to add lots and lots of moisture into your hair when you live in a place with high humidity. A leave-in conditioner, ultra-moisturizing shampoo and conditioner, coupled with a serum and a weekly mask, seems to be the magic combination for me. I wash and condition with Redken Extreme every other day. The once a week mask I’ve been using lately is Nexxus Humectress Moisture Restoring Masque, about $21. Recently, I picked up a bottle of Neutrogena Triple Moisture Silk Touch Leave-In Hair Cream, which is about $7.99 at the drugstore and am really liking it. My favorite serum is Aveda Light Elements Smoothing Fluid, which is about $28, but it lasts forever, since you only need about a dime-sized amount. I put two or three drops it on the ends of my wet hair after applying the leave-in conditioner and then about two drops on the ends once my hair is dried and styled.

Natural fabrics, such as cotton and linen are your friends. Airy, breathable, absorbent and light, clothing made with these materials will feel comfortable and look stylish. Seersucker is also a great option.

Blotting tissues are great for controlling shine. I also like to keep an Evian facial mister handy in my desk drawer kit to rehydrate my skin and revive makeup. Baby wipes are a great alternative for the car. Q-tips are a must-have for both kits because they have so many uses. For makeup wearers, the powder and lip gloss or stick you likely keep in your purse will usually get you through, especially since you can use the latter as blush in a pinch. Be mindful of your mascara, however, and if it begins to run, you’ll be glad you have those Q-tips. Just moisten one with the mister or water, swab below your lash line and voilà!

My less than perfect advice is to make sure you always have something in your bag that can act as a fan, as well as making sure to find any and all air conditions or fans at the party or event.

You never know when you’ll have to fight off the sun at a party or event around the city. It’s important to always be prepared, as a true Southern lady (or gentlemen) knows to never let them see you sweat.

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The official blog of New Orleans Bride Magazine, offering a daily dose of all things weddings

about

“Let Them Eat Cake,” is the official wedding blog of New Orleans Bride Magazine. The LTEC blog is the joint labor of love for Kelly Massicot and Melanie Warner Spencer. Massicot is web and social media editor for Renaissance Publishing, a contributing writer for New Orleans Bride Magazine, wedding junkie and fond lover of cake, especially petit fours from Chateau Coffee Cafe. Spencer is the editor of New Orleans Bride Magazine, writer of the “Bon Vivant” blog and a Francophile obsessed with Marie Antoinette and those tiny cakes from Chateau Coffee Café. You can reach Kelly at Kelly@myneworleans.com and Melanie at Melanie@myneworleans.com.